Englishfor English speakers
a
Determinative
—
A is used when the following word could be any of a certain type.
Compare "A book I saw on the shelf" and "The book I gave you yesterday".
a
Noun
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A is the first letter of the alphabet.
The letter "a" comes before "b".
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In some schools, an A is a very high grade.
Ron got an A on his earth science test.
copy
Noun
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A copy of something looks or acts like it.
They took the diamond and replaced it with a cheap copy.
—
A copy of a book, newspaper, painting, etc. is one of many that are exactly the same.
Please bring me the copies of those reports.
copy
Verb
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If you copy something, you make something look exactly the same as it.
Good artists copy. Great artists steal.
She copies the tests on the photocopier.
of
Preposition
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Made using.
It is a house of cards.
contract
Noun
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A contract is a legal agreement to trade goods, services and/or property. It's usually written down.
If you would just sign this contract, the car will be yours.
In Japan, most worker’s employment contracts last until the age of sixty.
My father’s employment contract is for forty years.
You must look over the contract before you sign it.
contract
Verb
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If something contracts, it gets smaller.
As the wood dries out, it contracts.
—
If you contract someone to do a job, you enter into a contract with them.
We've contracted a cleaning company to take care of the office.
When there's too much work, there are a number of small firms to which we will contract it out.
—
If you contract a disease, you become sick with it.
It's hard to understand why people risk contracting sexually transmitted diseases.
He contracted the flu.